unexpected awards

My thanks to Mr T A Newman for something quite unexpected and for being the enthusistic and dedicated teacher that he is.

Two days ago, I apparently started a journal (I believe that this is the proof) and when I should have been accomplishing something entirely different. The following day I mused that since I had started a journal that probably meant I should write something for it. Anything new like this with just one post feels somehow – I’m not sure what - but it seems to need more to validate its existence. I however convinced myself that I didn’t really need to. The truth was that I honestly didn’t have anything to say.

Most days there isn’t really anything to say beyond the mundane. However, something happened on the night on returning home from work that was out of the ordinary and most often only happens to dead people. That’s got your attention hasn’t it. Fair, it may well have not got your attention but if I am going to keep writing the journal I have to convince myself that it will.

Now I’d love to string the suspense out for a little longer, but while typing this I have realised that the photograph that will sit above this entry will absolutely give the game away. So disappointingly for me I will start with the reveal.

I have had an award named after me.

Yes, it took me by surprise as well, believe me.

This is how it happened…

A few months back I learned that a friend, teacher and head of department from down South was starting a media course or at least a new part to it. For clarification the real down South as in Devon – not the down South that often means London centric. Ok, that’s lost any readers from a fair geographical region now. Oops. Also, I should point out that he wasn’t going on a course; I certainly hope that he is qualified and not moonlighting as a teacher - no he was starting it for the pupils at his school. I also learned that there was little funding for this.

As it happened, I had some equipment squirreled away that I no longer used and had it down on my list to advertise on Reverb and hopefully sell. Now I will be perfectly honest, I hate the rigmarole of selling online. Potential time wasters, possible haggling over price, finding suitable packaging and the parcel weight for postage, standing in the post office queue and then the concern that when shipped and received that there will be some accusation over the condition on arrival. This in reality meant that the equipment would have probably indefinitely sat mothballed on a shelf.

It occurred to me that while the money certainly would be welcome and the potential of me actually doing anything about selling it was slim to none, that there was far more value in donating to helping my friend meet his aims and as a result hopefully providing something that would encourage kids to get into creating. Something that I think is important and not just for children but also for anyone of any age. However, the opportunity to help a friend and his pupils seemed right. Of course, my act of charity still required standing in a post office queue – I obviously hadn’t thought this entirely through.

To cut a long story short, well not that long really, but more to get to the point – addresses were provided and the house scoured for a suitable box (this proved interesting as even a small mic boom arm and part of the gift is still quite long). There was the inevitable wrestling match with parcel tape that seems happier to fold onto itself before reaching the intended surface and then the realisation that the amount of parcel tape used to secure the contents left a one-centimetre square for the address. Then there was the long wait apparently just to serve the three people in front of me at the post office who bizarrely seem to need extremely complicated things or to pay for their road tax in pennies. But the parcel was sent, received and thanks returned.

That was that as far as I was concerned. Good deed done.

Travelling forward in time to the present I saw a notification. It was apparently the schools awards time and there in a photograph were two awards to be presented to students on the media course. ‘The Charlie Creek Award for outstanding professionalism and creative curiosity in media studies’. Two lots of letter ‘c’ alliteration toboot!’ There was also a very sincere message.

I was gobsmacked!

The simple act of kindness and recognition by my friend knocked me for six and while I feel totally undeserving it has made my day or possibly my month. I mean it’s not many folks that have awards named after them and as was mentioned at the beginning most who do are dead. I feel that this is something of a personal win-win situation.

It’s not the fact my name is on something. It is the kind act of doing it. Of course, secretly I am also a bit chuffed at the name bit – come on who wouldn’t be.

Words have just come into my head that would be fitting of one of those inspirational posters – you know the ones that state the fing obvious in condescending terms… but the simple act of appreciation really did give me a boost and I am also really pleased that the course is obviously happening and that kids are getting something out of it. Of course, the real praise should go to my friend for having the passion and drive to do it in the first place – it’s his name that probably should be on there.

As an aside - I set myself two aims for this evening.

This is one of them, and if there is a new Behind the Scenes entry, then I made both a reality!
I did! Composing Horror - An Experiment.